Electric shaver light



R. V. POWELL ELECTRIC SHAVER LIGHT Filed Feb. 4, 1939 April 2, 1940.

Patented Apr. 2, 1940 UNITED "STATES PATENT N OFFICE ELECTRIC SHAVER LIGHT Robert V. Powell, Oakland, Calif.

Application February 4, 1939, Serial No. 254,622

6Claims.

My present invention relates to an illuminating means for use with electrically operated shavers and more particularly to a device for use in connection with electric shavers of the type provided with a detachable power connection at the rear end thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide an illuminating device of new and novel construction for electric shavers which can be mounted upon the shaver and connected in the service line therelof in a new and novel manner without requiring any alteration in the shaver construction and/or its service connection.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating devicel of new and novel form which is particularly adapted to electric shavers of the so-called Schick type, wherein the shaving operation is performed by a motor driven mechanism of the clipper type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating means for electric shavers in which a light beam is transmitted to the surface to be shaved without subjecting the internal mechanism of the shaver to excessive heating from the illumination supplying means.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating device for use with electric Shavers in which a solid transparent light transmitting medium carried by theshaver is relied upon to transmit a beam of light from a source of illumination located remote from the shaver driving mechanism to the face of a user.

In connection with the use of electric shavers of the clipper typeit is desirable that the surface to be shaved be well illuminated. Such illumination, however, is diicult to obtain with the ordinary wall type of illumination without at the same time illuminating the mirror before which the operator usually shaves. This form of illumination, in addition to producing eye strain, does not concentrate light upon the particular point where the shaver is applied and is open to the further objection that the shaver itself often interferes by casting a shadow at the point of its application during the shaving operation. It is, therefore, a further object of the present invention to provide a small and compact surface illuminating device which can be mounted directly upon the shaver where it will illuminate a small 50 area upon the surface to which the shaver is applied. In my prior application, Serial No. 230,433- illed September 17, 1938, I have disclosed a device for illuminating the face of a user at a point adjacent the working end of the'shaver. In this (Cl. 24o-2) disclosure, an electric lamp is mounted upon the side of a shaver where its light is directed by a suitable reflector to the surface being shaved. In connection with this prior disclosure, it has been found in practice that the heat given oii' by the lamp tends to heat up the shaver driving mechanism and dry'out the oil at the lubricated points to such an extent that the shaver cannot be operated successfully without frequentlubrication. To overcome this difficulty, it is a. further object of the present invention to provide a surface illuminating means for electric shavers in which the illumination supplying lamp is positioned at a point remote from the shaver driving mechanism and provided with a cold light or light beam transmitting means which will conduct light from said lamp to the surface engaged by the working end of the shaver.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter in connection with the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein there is shown by way of illustration and notof limitation a preferred embodiment ofthe invention. For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electric shaver of the so-called Schick type having an illuminating device of the type contemplated by this invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the longitudinal center line of the device,

Figure 3 illustrates a detail of the device as shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an end view of the shaver shown in Figure 1, and

Figures 5 and 6 invention.

The need for good illumination upon the surface to which an electric shaver of the clipper type is applied, as compared with the illumination required for shaving with lather and an ordinary razor is explained by the factthat with an 0rdinary razor the operator is not required to observe the growth of small hairs upon the face, but is merely required to observe the scraping away of the lather. This can be done with any or' dinary form of illumination, whereas since it is necessary with a shaver of the clipper type to observe the beard at the point where the shaver show modified forms of the is applied. a stronger and more direct type of illumination is required.

For the purpose of illustration the invention is shown in Figure 1 of the drawing as applied to a shaver of the so-called Schick type, which is designated in its entirety by the numeral I0. The shaver I has an operating head with clipper mechanism II at one end and a receptacle at its other end in which, as will hereinafter appear, there are two spaced circuit establishing contacts that connect with the electric driving mechanism of the shaver. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention the device comprises an elongated interposable portion I2 through which suitable circuit establishing and oppositely extending contact forming members longitudinally extend. Positioned at the top of the interposable portion I2 there is a lamp supporting housing I3 having an open end I4 into which a solid light transmitting element I5 extends. This solid light transmitting medium I5 may be of any suitable material; for example, it may be constructed of quartz which material as is well understood functions in a novel manner to transmit light longitudinally therethrough. A recently developed plastic material known to the trade as Lufite has also been found to have the same characteristics and in view of its relative cheapiess this latter material is preferred. 'I'he element I5 can be formed in any suitable manner. When the plastic material is in a molten state it can be poured into any suitable mold having the configuration desired. However, in constructing the deviceillustrated,the applicant has found that this element can be formed from a cylindrical rod of Lucite by merely machining away the opposite faces thereof and subjecting this portion of the rod to a heating sufcient to renderthe material plastic after which it may be bent to any desired curvature. The light transmitting characteristics of both quartz and Lucite is well known to the art and, therefore, a further description thereof is here deemed unnecessary.

Reference is now made to Figure 2 of the drawing, wherein the device is shown in more detail. As here illustrated the lamp supporting housing I3 is composed of a cylindrical portion I6 into one end of which the light transmitting element I5 is inserted. The other end of the cylindrical portion I6 telescopes over a cylindrical extension I'I upon a lamp socket carrying portion I8 that is formed integrally with a longitudinally extending portion I9 which cooperates with a second member to form the interposable portion I2 previously referred to.. As here illustrated the portion I8 is molded about a lamp socket 2I into which a lamp 22 is adapted to be mounted. The longitudinally extending portion I9 and the member 29 of the interposable portion I2 are shown as secured together by screws 23 and 24 so'that when assembled they serve, as will hereinafter appear, as a support for two longitudinally extending contact forming conductors 25 to which the terminals of the socket 2l are connected by conductors 26 and 21.

As illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawing, the member 20 is cored out as at 28 to provide, in conjunction vwith a similar cored out area in the portion I9, a cavity through which the contact forming conductors 25 extend. At their ends the portion I9 and the member 20 are also provided with aligned recesses 29 and 30 which cooperate and engage shoulders on the conductors 25 in a manner well understood in the art so as to prevent displacement thereof when the member 20 is secured to the portion I9 by means of the screws 23 and 24. At their shaver engaging ends the conductors 25 are provided with socket-like terminals 3| into which the projecting plug-like terminals of the shaver are adapted to extend. As at present constructed the plug-like terminals of the shaver are positioned within a recess at its rear end. Therefore, the longitudinally extending portion I9 and the member 20 are provided with reduced end portions 32 that form an extension about the socket-like terminals 3| which is adapted to project into the recess at the rear md of the shaver. At their other ends the conductors 25 are provided with plug forming extensions 33 that engage with cooperating receptacles carried by the power lead, as is well understood in the art. With this arrangement it will be seen that when the parts are assembled, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the socket-like terminals 3| of the contact forming conductors 25 are in engagement with the shaver terminals the extending reduced end portions 32 of the portion I9 and the member 20 will cooperate with the recess at the rear end of the shaver and serve to secure and support the illuminating means in its entirety upon the shaver.

Upon referring to Figure 4 of the drawing, it will be noted that the light emitting end of the solid light transmitting element I5 is centered with respect to the clipper mechanism II of the shaver II) so that the light emitted therefrom will be distributed over an area corresponding substantially to the area engaged by the working endof the shaver I0 when in use. At this point it may be said that while the light transmitting ele-J' extends upwardly from an interposable portion 36 that is adapted to be interposed between' the rear end of the shaver I Il and a contact receptacle 31 carried by a power lead 38. In this embodiment of the invention the housing which surrounds the vertically disposed lamp 35 is provided with an open extension 39 at one side into which a round or square rod 40 of light transmitting material is inserted. The housing 35 is shown as having Ventilating apertures 4I through which the heat given oi by the lamp 34 may escape. At this point it should be noted that similar ventilating apertures are also provided in the lamp supporting housing I3 of the embodiment previously described.

Reference is now made to Figure 6 of the drawing, wherein there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in which the source of illumination in the form of a lamp 42 is positioned at the rear end and in line with the shaver Il). As is here shown, the device consists of an upper portion 43 having an opening 44 at one end into which a solid light transmitting element 45 is inserted. Cooperating with the upper portion 43 of the device there is a lower portion 46 which y is adapted to be secured thereto by means of screws 41 and 48. Like the embodiment illustrated in Figures l to 4 of the drawing the present device is provided with an extending portion 49 that projects into the terminal recess provided at the rear end of the shaver I 0. This extending portion 49 cooperates with the terminals of the shaver I to secure the device upon the shaver when in use. In this embodiment of the invention the contact forming receptacles which engage the terminals of the shaver I0 and the contacts 50 which cooperate with the connector carried by the power lead are held in position by means of recesses formed in the meeting faces of the upper and lower portions 43 and 46 of the device. The lamp 42 is shown as having a screw base which is threaded into a socket 52 that is molded into an inwardly projecting boss 53 of the upper portion 43. When molded into position the socket 52 will be provided with outwardly extending terminals by means of which connections can be conveniently made with the terminals 50 and extending from this point to the shaver terminal engaging contacts of the device there will be provided suitable conductors 54, one of which is shown in the drawing. In order to provide ventilation for the lamp 42 the upper portion 43 of the device is provided with a slot 55 which in cooperation with a similar slot 56 in the lower portion 46 provides for a free circulation of air around the lamp 42.

With each of the above described embodiments of the invention it will be understood that when' the shaver I 0 is in operation the lamps which provide the source of illumination will be energized and as a result the solid light transmitting elements associated with these lamps will transmit a beam of light therefrom that will be directed upon the surface to which the working end of the shaver is'applied. `In operation the user will grasp the shaver I0 in much the same manner as would be the case were the illuminating device not applied thereto, except that he will grasp the device by extending his ngers over and around the light transmitting element. The addition of this device to a shaver does not in any way interfere with the proper use of the shaver as intended, for contrary to what might appear, the device contemplated by the invention does not render the shaver awkward to use but does rather, due to the relative lightness of the device, as compared with the weight of the Shaver I0 with its internal mechanism, provide a combined unit which has Well balanced characteristics.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated specific devices and arrangements, I desire to have it understood that this invention is not limited to the specific means disclosed, but may be embodied in other ways that^will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it so that all such changes as come' within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to .secure by Letters Patent is-- 1. In an illuminating device for electric shavers, the combination of an interposable contact carrying member having spaced contact receptacles at one end into which the contacts of an electric shaver extend and having outwardly projecting spaced contacts at its other end with which the contacts of a power lead connect, a lamp supporting socket carried by said interposable member having a circuit connection with the contacts carried by said interposable member, a housing forming member surrounding said socket and having a lamp enclosing portion that is open at one end, an illumination supplying lamp in said socket, and a solid light transmitting medium secured in the open end of said housing and extending outwardly to a point approximating the Working end of an electric shaver, whereby a light beam will be t1 ansmitted from said lamp to the face of a user without subjecting the shaver mechanism vto heating by said lamp.

2. In an illuminating device for electric shavers, the combination of an interposable contact carrying member having spaced contact receptacles at one end into which the contacts of an electric shaver extend and having outwardly projecting spaced contacts at its other end with which the contacts of a power lead connect, a lamp supporting socket carried by said interposable member having a circuit connection with the contacts carried by said interposable member, a housing forming member surrounding said socket and having a lamp enclosing portion that is open at one end, an illumination supplying lamp in said socket, a solid light transmitting medium secured in the open end of said housing adapted to transmit a beam of light from said lamp to a point approximating the Working end of an electric shaver, and means cooperating with the spaced contact receptacles of said interposable member for securing said latter member upon a shaver, whereby the transmitted light beam from said lamp'will move with the Working end of the shaver.

3. In an illuminating device for electric shavers, the combination of a lamp supporting housing having oppositely extending contact receiving receptacles and Contact plugs which are adapted to be interposed between and cooperate respectively with contact plugs upon an electric shaver and contact receptacles carried by a service lead to provide a circuit therebetween, a lamp disposed Within said housing having connections with said circuit, and a solid light transmitting element having one end exposed to the light produced by said lamp and its other end extending outwardly in a curved path and terminating at a point adjacent the working end of a shaver, whereby an illuminating light beam will be transmitted from said lamp to a point adjacent the working end of the shaver.

4. In an illuminating device for electricshavers, the combination of a lamp supporting housing having oppositely extending contact receiving receptacles and Contact plugs which are adapted to be interposed between and cooperate respectively with contact plugs upon an electric shaver and contact receptacles carried by a service lead to provide a circuit therebetween, a lamp disposed within said housing having connections with said circuit, and a solid light transmitting element extending into and supported by said housing having one end exposed to the light produced by said lamp and its other end extending outwardly and terminating at a point adjacent the working end of a shaver, whereby a beam of light will be transmitted from said lamp to a point adjacent the working end of the shaver.

5. In an illuminating device for electric shavers, the combination of a lamp supporting housing having oppositely extending and cooperating contact receiving receptacles and contact plugs which are adapted to be interposed between and cooperate respectively with contact plugs upon an electric shaver and contact receptacles carried by a service lead to provide a circuit therebetween, a lamp disposed within said housing ha-ving connections with said circuit, a solid light transmitting element extending into said housing having one end exposed to the light produced by said lamp and its other end extending outwardly and terminating at a point adjacent the working end of a shaver, whereby an illuminatinglight beam will be transmitted from said lamp to a point adjacent the working end of the shaver, and means carried by said housing engaging the shaver and cooperating with the contact plugs thereof to support said housing and said solid light transmitting element in working relation with the shaver.

6. The combination of an electric shaver having a recess at its rear end within which there is disposed two circuit forming terminals that connect with the internal mechanism of the shaver, an interposableconductor carrying member having a projecting end adapted to extend into the 80 recess at the rear end of said shaver and support said interposable member thereupon, circuit forming means carried by said interposable member adapted to connect with the terminals of said shaver and project from the opposite side of said interposable member for the reception of a power lead connector, a power lead having a connector adapted to connect with the projecting ends of said circuit forming means, a lamp carried by said interposable member having circuit connections with said circuit forming means, and a solid light transmitting element carried by said interposable member having one end exposed to receive light from said lamp and its other end extending over and around the electric shaver and terminating at a point adjacent the working end thereof, whereby a beam of light will be transmitted by said light transmitting element from said lamp to an area adjacent the working end of the shaver when the shaver is in use.

- ROBERT V. POWELL. 

